Jerry L. Jackson

When Sydney Pollack hired Jerry straight out of university and brought him to LA to develop material, Jerry already had a production resume that included a PBS short, an educational series, an HBO short, and two features - with awards as a writer/director and cinematographer already in his pocket.

Jerry functioned in all facets of Sydney's company from development to pre-production, to post and marketing. "Bobby Deerfield" (with Al Pacino) and "The Electric Horseman" (with Robert Redford, Jane Fonda and Willie Nelson) were his introduction to Hollywood.

Sydney also afforded Jerry two singular opportunities: editing a documentary ("The Hampstead Centre" with and about Anna Freud's work with children, produced by Sydney and directed by Joan Tewkesbury) and an invitation to attend all of Lee Strassberg's L.A. sessions at the Actors Studio!

As a writer/producer, Jerry has developed material for United Artists, Walt Disney Studios, and various independent production companies and won awards from the New York, Chicago and Houston film festivals as well as two CINE Golden Eagles, an Angel Award and a CINDY Award.

Jerry has explored all areas of his creative palate including writer/director, producer, cinematographer, editor, development executive, script consultant, creative consultant, new media/web consultant/producer, a theatre and film actor, and a creative coach to writers and performers on three continents.

Serving as Producing Director of The Advent Theatre in Los Angeles, functioning as a producer, director and actor on their stage from 2005 to 2009 polished another facet.

Jerry is also committed to creating and hosting environments where creative people connect, share and grow each other. As executive director/programmer of the Refocus International Film and Video Festival, he led a team to create the largest event of it's kind in the U.S. in the mid-70's while still a college student. After moving to California, he never missed an opportunity to teach or mentor at the myriad film study institutions in Los Angeles and worked on curriculum development at UCLA. Jerry spent 10 years on the board of the City of Angels Film Festival, functioning as a programmer, panelist, and moderator. He has also been a judge at various film festivals and competitions and co-produced and hosted the first International Interactive Communications Society's Summit Conference and Awards for New Media in 1994 at Lake Tahoe.

As an active member of the Writers Guild, he has chaired their New Members Committee for nearly 15 years, creating events to encourage, enlighten and develop the Guild's newest members, also serving on the New Media Committee, the Committee Advisory Panel, the Writers Education Committee and multiple Nominating Committees.

In 2010, Jerry relocated to Australia with his wife (an Australian citizen) and stepdaughter, where he continues to write, direct, shoot and coach, with projects percolating in both Australia and the U.S. Creative collaboration is his oxygen.

In 2013 he created and directed the first ever Under The Sea Film Festival in New South Wales, Australia, dubbed by award-winning underwater cinematographer David Hannan as "Australia's most comprehensive ocean festival."